Contents

Australia

He was Prime Minister for a total of 18 and half years which is the longest in Australia's history. After the death of Joseph Lyons he was elected leader of the United Australia Party and became Prime Minister in 1939. He resigned in 1941 after a lot of criticism. In 1944 he helped form the new Liberal Party. In 1949 he was re-elected Prime Minister. He stayed in the job until he retired in 1966.

Commonwealth

According to his biography in the Australian Dictionary of Biography, "Menzies belonged to a generation for whom to be Australian was automatically to be British."

Honours

Knight of the Thistle, 1963

Constable of Dover Castle, 1965

Warden of the Cinque Ports, 1965

Images for kids

Declaration of War Broadcast, September 1939

Australian Prime Minister, Robert Menzies, with his British counterpart, Sir Winston Churchill, London 1941

Menzies hosting a royal visit of Queen Elizabeth II

Grave of Sir Robert and Dame Pattie Menzies, Melbourne General Cemetery

The Menzies Spire at Jeparit, Victoria. In part the inscription reads: "The spire symbolises the rise to world recognition of a boy who was born in Jeparit and who rose by his own efforts to become Australia's Prime Minister and a statesman recognised and honoured throughout the world."